


Will You Dance With Me Until the End?

by Kaappihomosapiens



Category: 19天 - Old先 | 19 Days - Old Xian
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Arranged Marriage, M/M, Royalty, The alpha/omega thingies are really mild in this one, castles and shit, poorly written drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-13
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2019-10-27 16:17:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17770100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaappihomosapiens/pseuds/Kaappihomosapiens
Summary: Once a year there was a party in the castle. Once a year Mo Guan Shan had attended it after turning sixteen. Once a year he had slipped away unnoticed.But once he didn't manage to escape in time.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! First I need to confess that I have never written alpha/omega things before so bear with me. Also this is the first time I’m writing about this pairing and I struggle with their names.
> 
> Grammar mistakes are possible as English is not my first language.

Every year there was a big party at the castle. People would gossip, eat fine food, dance and meet other people. It was called the Big Meet by the villagers who didn’t have the chance to go, for only the ones carrying noble blood were invited. As it was intended to be a party for noble alphas to meet omegas that were worthy of them, even the omegas who just barely met the class were also invited. After all, there were less noble omegas around than alphas, and even less male ones at that.

 

The letter of invitation was almost crushed with a stream of swears that left Mo Guan Shan’s mouth. Every year since he had turned sixteen the letter had been sent to him, inviting him to the party held up in the castle. Well, more like  _ forcing  _ him to go since if his name was on the list and he failed to show up he’d surely suffer the consequences. Most people went there with joy, being honored to be invited if they were from lover classes but Guan Shan would only go to prevent anything bad happening to his mom’s bakery. 

 

Once his family had been noble. They had a big house near the castle and an own restaurant for the royalty and their friends to enjoy. Then his father had started doing business with the wrong kind of people. Soon it was just Guan Shan and his mother, living together in a small house in the more shady part of the city, running their own bakery to keep food on the table. It was years since he had heard from his father, and it was also years since anyone had acknowledged their bloodline. The letter still came every year, painfully reminding Guan Shan that the only thing the upper classes appreciated in his family was his status as an omega. 

 

A sound of a door opening brought Guan Shan back to the present. He threw the letter on the table and decided to attack the dishes to take out his anger.

His mom came in, looking a bit sad as she watched his son angrily scrub the plates. She glanced back at the bakery, watching as the royal guard softly closed the front door and walked away with the bread he had bought.

 

There wasn’t much to say. They both hated the fact he had to attend. There wasn’t a way out: either you went voluntarily or a royal guard would drag you in the castle. Mo Guan Shan had tried both, and had come to the conclusion that the first way was the easiest. His mom moved to stand next to him, leaning to hug him.

“Be careful,” she whispered. She didn’t exactly know what happened in those parties, never being in one herself since she had met and bonded with her husband when they were both teenagers. The rumors she had heard were confusing. No one really talked about what the party included. But his son had already went through three parties, and since he had always described the events as boring, artificial and idiotic 

it seemed safe enough for her not to worry.

 

Guan Shan, still washing the plates, leaned into her mom’s embrace. “At least they have food there,” he mumbled and earned a small chuckle out of his mom. He didn’t want her to worry. He had survived three parties, he would survive the fourth and all stupid, fake parties with alphas with sticks in their asses that the future would hold.

 

As his mom went back to the bakery to greet a customer Guan Shan dreadfully shared a look with the letter. He didn’t want to go, he’d rather punch a royal and go to prison but for his mother he’d do it. Luckily, he had a plan. The plan that had saved him three times and would save him again.

 

                                                                             ---------------------------------------------------

 

A week later there was a knock on their door. His mom had closed off the bakery earlier than usual to fuss over Guan Shan and his outfit. Even if she reluctantly would have to send his son to the castle at least she wanted him to look good.

 

“Mom, the hair is fine,” Guan Shan complained, gently taking the hands away from his head and standing upright. It only made his mom focus on his shirt and vest. Guan Shan sighed but let his mom straighten his shirt. She was only trying to help, and even though he wouldn’t admit it to anyone, he actually enjoyed the attention he was getting.

 

Finally approving Guan Shan’s appearance, his mom took a step back and looked at her accomplishment. His son looked handsome, hair slipped back and a gray vest over a white dress shirt. She sighed. “You look like your father,” she whispered, a gentle smile on her lips. She brushed Guan Shan’s cheek with her hand before going to let the guard in. Guan Shan followed her only to halt in his steps upon seeing the tall, big, white haired guy in front of him. _Shit._ They really hadn’t liked his attempted escape the year before.

 

“Please be nice and have fun, okay dear?” His mom whispered as she hugged him. He only nodded, warily eyeing the intimidating looking man by the door. Well, at least he’d get in with style. He doubted other omegas would get such escorts.

 

There was a carriage waiting outside. Nothing too fancy, but the common people surely knew just where it was going to go. Curious eyes peeked through the curtains and darkness of the alleys as Guan Shan climbed in, followed by the big guard.

 

They picked up another omega from a nicer part of town. She was shy and blushed when he saw the guard - an alpha - and Guan Shan had to remind himself that was something people expected from omegas. He had been a late bloomer, figuring out he wasn’t beta when he was fourteen. Most people knew for sure before that, so he had been raised to act like a beta. Now that was biting him in the ass since he  _ really  _ didn’t know how he should act around alphas. His mom had said his changed status shouldn’t change anything, so now he was just… brushing them off with his personality. Maybe that was for the best. Guan Shan would rather eat his left hand and burn his mother’s bakery than act like the girl in front of him, blushing and making the small carriage  _ stink  _ with her scent. He felt like gagging and it seemed to show as he got a look from the big guy that clearly said  _ behave. _

 

He wished the party would already be over.

  
  
  


The castle was an astonishing sight with its tall towers and gray walls. Well, for most it was. For Guan Shan it could had come with a glowing sign with a big, bold text of TORTURE in the middle. The carriage stopped in front of steps leading up to a big hall. Before they would be granted entry they’d have to sign up to make sure they were invited to go in and that they hadn’t ditched the event. 

 

It was the first part of Guan Shan’s plan: to get his name in the book to have prove he had been at the party. The second part was to survive until appetizer was served.

 

He went with the flow of people and ended up in the main hall. The place was decorated with flowers and things Guan Shan couldn’t name. Decorative stuff. It looked nice, but there was more important things than appreciating the scenery around him. He had a mission. And his survival instinct was telling him to duck to cover as the main host of the party, Prince Jian Yi, walked up to a part of the room that held the throne. The crowd quieted down as the prince made a short welcoming speech. It was the usual, just welcoming them all to the party, hoping them to enjoy themselves and such. 

 

It was not a secret that the party was held partly because the Prince himself was an omega without a mate. The party would be held anyway even if the Prince would find someone since it was an event to get all the unmated nobility in the same room to meet each other, but now it was almost a challenge for noble alphas to try their luck. 

 

It wasn’t like they’d succeed anyway. Even Guan Shan’s dead grandma could see the Prince had his eyes on his personal guard. The guard, Zhan Zhen Xi, didn’t seem to notice the eyes that stole glances at him even during the welcome speech. Or maybe he did. It was hard to tell since his facial expressions imitated a statue.

 

After the speech the people started to move around. Guan Shan would have an hour before the appetizers would be brought in. He took a glass from a waiter that went past him and went to find a place where he could hide until the second part of Get-The-Fuck-Away plan. He knew there was a balcony that was hidden away behind a corner. He had found it on the first time he’d been in the castle. The balcony had served as a perfect hiding place for three years, and it should do just fine again.

 

Guan Shan walked past the throne, dodging the alphas trying to get near Jian Yi and slided off behind the corner. The door wasn’t locked so he went out, leaving the door just a bit open. The silence was nice after being around so many people. The air was warm and a slight breeze ruffled his hair. The railing felt cold under his arms, but it felt good to breath in the fresh air and take a sip of his drink.

 

There was just couple of hours between him and his freedom, and if he had to spend that time at the party he would at least avoid anything and everyone. Well, until the food was served. If anything he’d take free food before ditching the place.

 

“Wow, you have found a nice place to hide.”

 

Guan Shan, startled shitless, quickly turned his head to the left to look at the person standing next to him. He was proud not to scream in terror since the man next to him had somehow moved to his spot unnaturally quietly.

 

The man watched him, amusement clear in his eyes. He had a drink on his hand and he lazily swirled the wineglass between his fingers.

“Do you mind if I join you?”

 

Guan Shan just stared at the other. He had dark hair, eyes that spelled trouble and he was tall. Dressed in a way that made Guan Shan want to hit him in the face. And of course the bastard disturbing his peace was an alpha. He didn’t recognise the man from the previous parties. Probably just a noble asshat trying their luck.

 

“Fuck off,” he muttered and went back to staring in the distance. He missed the smirk that spread on the man’s face.

 

“That’s not a nice thing to say.” 

 

Guan Shan tried to send the man a quick glance promising a painful death if he didn’t leave. He was more than surprised when he turned and the other was  _ way  _ closer that he’d been before. Guan Shan quickly took a step back to get some distance between their faces, looking at the door and thinking about escaping. The other man didn’t come closer, but had the nerve to laugh.

“Relax, I’m only messing with you. What’s your name?”

 

“The fuck I’m telling you!” Guan Shan could feel his body start shaking. Part of it was due to anger and the other because there was a dangerous glint in the man’s eyes. The eyes in question were watching him, focusing to look on his chest. Weird!

 

The man lifted his gaze, now staring at Guan Shan’s face and smiling. The man changed moods like women changed outfits.

“What if I tell my name first? Name for a name?”

 

“I don’t care.”

 

The man sighed, dragging his fingers through his hair. Then he smiled in the way that probably made most omegas wet their pants. 

“Okay then. Nice to meet you, redhead. Since we are using code names, I could be sex on legs.”

 

That was it. He would  _ not  _ wait till the appetizers, he would jump from the balcony right away and end his misery. He flipped the man off and stormed past him, only to get caught by a strong arm around his shoulders.

 

“Hey, where are you going? I thought we were just getting to know each other.”

 

Guan Shan tried to free himself. He really did. God, the man was strong! “Fucking chicken dick! Asshole, let me go!”

 

“Only if you will grant me your wonderfully cheerful company over some food inside,” the man answered, smiling sweetly down on the struggling redhead.

 

“Fine! Whatever.” The hand released him the second the words left his mouth. Guan Shan took a shaky breath as he watched the man smile in a disgusting way. He seemed way to happy and for a second Guan Shan wanted to throw his glass at him, but reminded himself that he’d probably die doing that. The other had muscles and knowledge how to use them, he’d give him that.

 

And now that he looked closely, he also had a sword hanging at his hip. Nice, fancy clothes and a sword. There was a big  _ Warning!  _ sign flashing in his head but he still couldn’t put 1+1 together.

 

“Are you interested in my sword, redhead?”

 

After trying to hit the man in the face and finding himself lying on the cold stone floor with a heavy weight keeping him down he’d still give himself points for at least trying. After that he had enough survival instinct to follow the other inside when the food was served.

 

                                                                                             ---------------------------------------------

 

The glances they got when they walked back inside were strange. The man had put his hand back around Guan Shan’s shoulders, probably to prevent any escape attempts. This close his scent was clear and it was trying to invade into the redhead’s personal space. Much like its owner.

 

There were people whispering.  _ Why are they whispering,  _ Guan Shan wondered and sent a group of male omegas his most intimidating look. It worked well enough to scare them and send them walking away. He heard a snicker next to him.

 

“What’s so funny,” Guan Shan grumpily asked. The man pulled him closer, lowering his head to whisper his answer.

 

“I think I like you.”

 

“It’s not a mutual feeling.”

 

That got a real laugh out of the other. His scent also changed a bit, making it smell sweeter. Or then Guan Shan was losing his mind. He’d have to escape soon. They’d walk past a small library while going towards their destination. It had a window with a decent drop to the ground - it was how he had gotten away before. But as the room got closer and Guan Shan readied himself to slipping away and hiding among the other people the man’s hold tightened and he made a sharp turn in another direction.

 

“The food’s this way, redhead,” he laughed.  _ Damn,  _ he must have noticed Guan Shan’s try to get away!

 

They went to the room where the food was on a big, long table. It served all kinds of things Guan Shan didn’t even have names for; he lived in the poorer side of town, after all, and people there would laugh at the fancily served finger foods.

 

The man released his hold of Guan Shan.  _ Wait here,  _ he whisperer and took off, but not before whispering to a person nearby. Guan Shan turned to look at the direction and felt like crying after seeing a guard watching him back.  _ That bastard! _ Guan Shan would murder the guy when he got the change!

 

But wait. The tall man had talked to a guard, who then started to babysit him. Who the guy thought he was, giving orders to royal guards? And why in hell did the guard do as he had been told to? 

 

_ I need to get the FUCK away from here,  _ his brain informed him. The whole situation was getting too weird, and he would not stay for a second longer. If he dashed among the crowd he could get to the window and jump down before the guard could see where he went. 

 

Before people could go and get the food the Prince would come to give a short Welcome Again & Go Eat speech. That would be the perfect time to slip away since the guard would have to focus on the Prince and not to a certain person slipping away.

 

Guan Shan didn’t have to wait long. The Prince and his servant appeared from the crowd with their guards. Guan Shan glanced at his babysitter, now looking at the Prince, and made a move to disappear when something caught his eye. There, behind the Prince, was the man from the balcony. And his eyes were locked on Guan Shan’s. It made the redhead freeze.

 

The spell was broken when the Prince nudged the side of the man and said something to him quietly enough that Guan Shan couldn’t hear despite being almost in the front row of people. 

 

The man straightened himself and loudly cleared his throat. The light chatter quieted down and the focus was now fully on the Prince.

 

He started talking, but Guan Shan didn’t hear a word. His eyes were on the mystery man. Tall, black hair, dark eyes, fancy clothes and a sword. He was next to the  _ fucking  _ Prince of the country and had command over the guards.

 

Guan Shan had gotten himself caught up by a commander of the royal guards. That position was only granted for someone from the He family. Had been for years. That family was almost royal themselves, and most people treated them as such anyway. For centuries they had ruled the army and royal guards along with the King and Queen.

 

And now Guan Shan understood why he had had such a bad feeling on the balcony. Last year in the place of the He in front of him had been a man with the same looks. Maybe this guy’s big brother. Or dad. Oh boy.  _ Mo Guan Shan, you’re in trouble. _

 

The dark eyes seeked out his and a smirk took over the taller man’s features. As the sound of applause filled the room and people started to migrate towards the food Guan Shan quickly found a hand around his shoulders once again.

 

“Are you hungry?”

 

“Not your business,” he answered. He wanted to run. His body was starting to shake and it didn’t help that the Prince was eyeing them from his own private table with a knowing look.

 

“Come on, let’s go get something to eat,” the man said and started to lead Guan Shan towards the Prince. Away from the food. The confusion must have been clear on his face because the other just laughed. “What, you think we’ll eat the same food as the others?”

 

Well, he had thought so. When they reached the table the Prince perked up and smiled at the tall man. “Hey, who is this person? Is he going to eat with us?

 

“He is. You can sit over here,” the man said and pointed out a chair. He himself sat next to the Prince, and Guan Shan realized he’d be sitting one person away from one of the most important figures in the country. At least he’d have something to tell his mother afterwards.

 

The second Guan Shan sat down he got a face full of the Prince leaning over the dark haired man. “What’s your name?”

 

Curious dark eyes looked at him as he swallowed. There was no way he could get away with not telling his name. If his mother ever found out he had even thought about it he’d get a lecture about manners. So he answered, voice surprisingly steady: “Mo Guan Shan.”

 

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jian Yi, though you probably know that. This is Zhan Zheng Xi,” he enthusiastically said and pointed at the person sitting on the other side of him. “He’s my personal slave. Right, Xixi?”

 

“Right,” the other confirmed, rolling his eyes. “Can you be any less formal when meeting new people?”

 

“Nope! Surely I don’t need to introduce my guard, I think you know his name already?”

 

Guan Shan awkwardly looked away. The man next to him snickered. “I didn’t tell him since I myself just heard his name too,” he happily exclaimed.

 

“He Tian!” The Prince yelled, “You didn’t even tell him your name? That’s brutal.”

 

_ He Tian.  _ That confirmed Guan Shan’s suspicions.

 

“Like what you heard,  _ Mo Guan Shan _ ,” the man purred next to his ear.

 

Guan Shan tried to be quiet as he angrily whispered  _ fuck off  _ to the other, but he must have been louder than he thought since the Prince started laughing hysterically. Even his servant smiled.

 

“Oh my god, you must keep him! He’s awesome,” the Prince managed to get out.

 

“Is that an order? I take it as one,” Tian jokingly said and looked back to the redhead. He was clearly pissed off and Tian couldn’t help the affection slipping in his scent. It only made Guan Shan to scrunch up his nose in disgust.

 

The redhead was too cute for his own safety.

  
  


The others started to chat as Guan Shan focused on people watching. People were eating, chatting, some people were shamelessly flirting around the room. Guan Shan took a bite of a cookie. The appetizers they had on the Prince’s table were different from what the others ate. Well, at least he could enjoy the food before bolting off.

 

His chance to escape came when the people started to move away from the food and into the other rooms of the castle. He got up and bowed slightly to the Prince, starting to walk away when a hand grabbed his. 

 

“Where are you going?” He Tian asked, starting to get up his seat. Guan Shan shook off his hold.

 

“I’m just going to the restroom.” 

 

He Tian sat back down, but he looked a bit of disappointed. Like he knew what the redhead would do. Still he nodded and Guan Shan took his leave.

 

He walked straight to the glass door leading to the library. He could see the window and the freedom behind it. Just ten meters and he’d be in the ground, going home, seeing his m-

 

“Going to read on a party? Don’t be so dull.”

 

Guan Shan knew that voice. He swallowed a lump in his throat and turned his head to look behind him, his hand never leaving the door handle.

 

Tall, white hair, golden eyes. Like a snake in a human suit. 

 

“She Li,” he greeted, trying to keep his legs steady and body from shaking.

 

The golden eyes were cold as the other let out a low chuckle. “So formal. At least you remember my name.”

 

Of course Guan Shan remembered. She Li was a pain in the ass he’d been dealing with since the first party he’d attended. The other had been trailing him since, always lurking somewhere near to make his prey feel uncomfortable. Guan Shan didn’t know what the other wanted. Most likely he just wanted to get under his skin to entertain himself.

 

“What do you want?”

 

The snake smirked as he put his hand on top of Guan Shan’s over the door handle, looking as the redhead quickly withdrew his. He opened the door and went into the library, forcefully grabbing the other to join him. 

 

“I couldn’t help noticing you were sitting in the Prince’s table just now,” he started. “How did you manage to get in there?”

 

“The hell I know!” 

 

Everyone with eyes could see that She Li was interested in the Prince. Well, most alphas at the party were, but this guy made his attraction seem really creepy. During the second party Guan Shan had attended the snake had tried to get him to steal the Prince’s belongings. A total creeper. Guan Shan had escaped soon after, not wanting to risk getting arrested.

 

She Li sighed. Went to stand right between Guan Shan and the window he needed to get away. Looked through the said window and then turned towards the redhead.

“I heard your mom owns some money to rather unnerving people,” he said and continued as the color drained from the other’s face. “Some of the dept could be easily forgotten.”

 

“Fuck you. I’m not going to steal anything!” Guan Shan yelled. His body was shaking and She Li’s scent was starting to have a dangerous tint. 

 

A hand grabbed his with enough force to bruise and Guan Shan found himself chest to chest with the snake. “This is not a request. One item or the bakery will-”

 

A warm body pressed against Guan Shan’s side as he watched She Li stumble backwards. He didn’t need to look to see who it was, the scent surrounding him told him enough.

 

“Get out.”

 

She Li steadied himself and wiped imaginary dirt from the spot He Tian had touched. His scent, now truly suffocating and angry, made Guan Shan involuntary lean into the person beside him. If he had to choose between two demons he’d pick the dark haired man. 

 

“Well, look who’s here. Are you playing a guard?” She Li teased, slowly starting to move backwards, turning around and watching outside the window. He Tian didn’t say anything, but there was an oncoming storm happening with his scent. Great, the party had been bad enough and now Guan Shan was getting in the middle of an alpha fight. His body and mind were starting to freak out, there were too many scents in the air and the omega side of him wanted to bolt. 

 

His distress didn’t go unnoticed. She Li’s gaze slid to Guan Shan and then back to the window. One could almost see his brain counting 2+2 together. Isolated room with an unlocked window plus one omega who mysteriously had disappeared from the party year after year equals to a previously unknown escape route.

 

“Do I need to repeat myself?” He Tian said, voice even, but the scent didn’t lie: the man was annoyed. When She Li just stared through the window the black haired man smoothly guided Guan Shan behind his back, hiding the omega from the other alpha. 

 

That got the attention of She Li. He watched the scene with a sick look in his eyes until he laughed. Not a happy laugh. Dangerous.

 

“Relax,” he purred, “I was just here to lock the window. Quite the safety risk, leaving it so that  _ someone  _ could open it and go out.” His eyes trailed behind the other alpha before he walked a few steps towards a desk and took a small key from a drawer. Without any hurry he locked the window, put the key to his pocket and walked to the door. 

“Good thing I spend so many summers here when we were younger,” he laughed, no humour in the notes of his voice. “Leaving keys in the same place for years can’t be good for the safety of our Prince.” 

 

Guan Shan watched as the devil and the literal key to his freedom disappeared through the door and into the crowd. He took a breath as the suffocating scent of alphas started to clear from the air. Beside him He Tian let out a snarl. The alpha closed his eyes, deepened his breathing and let the tension out. 

 

Guan Shan blamed the scene, the scents and his frustration for watching in awe. He hated being an omega because surely it was just his hungry hormones dancing around his brain and informing him that  _ hey, this guy is actually kind of hot. _ He was having none of  _ that  _ that moment so he shrugged to get the bad thoughts away.

 

He Tian clearly took that for something else because in seconds his hands were on Guan Shan’s face.

“Did he hurt you?” he asked, the previous calm slowly crumbling away as his eyes quickly scanned for injuries. Guan Shan didn’t react immediately - the bad thoughts still lingered - and the hands wandered lower, checking for sore spots, gently slid on his hips…

 

The moment was broken as Guan Shan’s brain finally caught up and he took a swing at the other man. His fist was easily caught and he quickly found his hands bound by a pair of stronger ones and his back pressed against He Tian’s chest.

 

“Fuck off! Pervert,” Guan Shan snarled. He tried to squirm away and to his surprise his actions gained a laugh from the other.

 

“Clearly you are okay. Well, that means we have a dinner to attend.”

 

Before Guan Shan could protest he had an arm around his shoulders and he was getting walked back to the hallway, every step taking him away from the locked window and his chances of disappearing before the evening. 

 

                                                                       -------------------------------------------------------------

 

Guan Shan would admit that the food he got served was good. More than good; excellent would be a more suitable word. He was a pretty good cook himself, had to be since he worked at the bakery, so he was almost happy he had been forced to stay. Almost.

 

After meeting the snake He Tian had been glued to his side. He didn’t leave. Kept checking Guan Shan from the corner of his eye. To make matters worse the Prince kept watching them, sighing dreamily from time to time and then turning his gaze toward Zhan Zhen Xi until the man would get fed up from the attention and nudge the Prince until he would whine and start watching the royal guard and his victim again.

 

It was annoying. But there was not much Guan Shan could do. Even if he managed to leave the table there was a murderous pile of omegas waiting in the other table, and even in the scenarios in his head Guan Shan wouldn’t make it that far before He Tian would catch him. 

 

If the omegas got him he’d get killed. It seemed He Tian was in demand among them, so for his own safety he chose to stay put.

 

There was also the She Li situation going on. When they’d gotten back from the library He Tian had exchanged a few words with some guards, making them salute and leave the scene after bowing towards the Prince. It didn’t take a genius to know they were off to snake hunting.

 

“...Shan?”

 

The sound of his name got Guan Shan to turn his attention back to the small group. The Prince was watching him. He was actually slowly leaning closer with an amused glint in his eyes.

“Did I interrupt your daydreaming?” He asked and playfully nudged He Tian’s side with a knowing smile. He Tian had the nerve to smirk and once again Guan Shan had to remind himself that strangling the commander of the royal guards was not the best idea to do. He had a mom and a bakery waiting for him. So instead of committing murder he breathed deeply, send a deathly look to He Tian and turned his attention towards the Prince.

 

“Sorry, I wasn’t listening,” he said and focused on eating. Jian Yi laughed.

 

“Ah, I was just asking if you plan on going to the Final Dance? Since you seem to get along  _ so well _ ,” he finished and leaned back, giggling like a child. Next to him Zhan Zhan Xi rolled his eyes

 

Final Dance? Guan Shan had to progress the question for a moment. Truth to be told he had always managed to leave before dinner, so anything the party included after that was a mystery. No one talked about the event outside the castle so he had never heard what was to expect. Dancing didn’t sound too bad. Even with the asshole next to him. And the whole thing sounded like a big final event of the party, and that meant getting to leave.

 

With his conclusion made, Guan Shan took a bite of his food and answered: “I don’t know.”

 

“That’s not a proper answer!” Jian Yi yelled, gaining a few worried looks from the guards standing nearby. He Tian shook his head and the guards relaxed their stance. 

 

“Yeah,  _ Mo Guan Shan,  _ this is a simple yes or no question. Want to dance with me or not?” He Tian purred, now directing his attention towards the redhead. He leaned closer and Guan Shan leaned away.

 

“The hell I want to dance with you,” he hissed.

 

The Prince actually whined. The sound made Guan Shan momentarily forget what curse words he had been wanting to shout at the alpha.

 

“Come on, you’d look so good together!” the whining continued until Zhan Zhen Xi’s argument of  _ you are a Prince, act like it  _ could be heard. That only made Jian Yi pout and lean his head on his personal guard’s shoulder. 

 

He Tian’s hand gently came up to pet against Guan Shan’s cheek. Guan Shan was quick to brush it off, but the hand came back up to rest on the back of his neck. 

 

“You heard the Prince. We would look  _ so good together, _ ” He Tian said with a voice that made the omega side of Guan Shan feel strange things. The other side of him began to think about murder again, but the sound of the Prince squealing reminded him where he was sitting. Jian Yi was looking at them and poking Zhan Zhen Xi in a silent way of communicating. 

 

“Fine, whatever,” he spit back. He didn’t even have to brush off the hand on the back of his neck, because as soon as he answered it fell away. Until it came back to quickly pet his cheek. The look on He Tian face was absolutely disgusting. The man was smiling and reeking a scent that spelled  _ happiness  _ in the air.

 

The Prince, after hearing the answer, almost lost it with his loud yell and directed his happy energy into a hug. Zhan Zhen Xi looked like he wanted to make another lecture about How-To-Train-Your-Prince, but let Jian Yi cling to him.

 

The extreme reactions to him only saying yes to dancing send a streams of alarms off in Guan Shan, but after watching the trio he only came to the conclusion that royalty were out of their minds. He’d only hurt himself if he tried to understand these people. 

                                                                                     ----------------------------------------------------------

 

The rest of the dinner went uneventfully. Servants came to clear the table and other people came to talk to the Prince while the guards calmly stood nearby. The Prince acted completely different with the people who came to talk to him. Gone was the silly act and laughter and in their place was a modest, learnt behaviour and polite way of speaking.

 

That spoke volumes about how fast the Prince had accepted Guan Shan. That also indicated how close Jian Yi was with He Tian.

 

Guan Shan watched the people. Light chatter filled the air and servants carried drinks to people. He Tian was more quiet, monitoring the people around them for different reasons Guan Shan did. His attention only broke every time the redhead straightened up or moved beside him. 

 

Funny enough it didn’t seem to bother Guan Shan. If anything it made him feel warm. Protected.  _ Disgusted beyond reason.  _ He had no idea why it just felt right to sit beside the man. Like some lovesick omega from the novels his mother liked to read - yes, he had read one book out of curiosity when he’d realized his nature, but just for science - and the realization send cold chills through his body.

 

In a heartbeat He Tian’s attention was on him.

“Are you okay?” He asked, worry in his voice and his hand approaching Guan Shan’s forehead. The Omega moved his head out of reach as a whiny “ _ I’m not okay, why doesn’t anyone ask me that”  _ could be heard as the Prince started to complain the second people let him be.

 

“Please act like a Prince for couple of hours,” Zhan Zhen Xi said, voice even, but his eyes were desperate for modest behavior. The Prince was having none of that.

 

“Xixi! Can’t you be like He Tian? He cares! I have talked to waaaaay too many people. I don’t feel so well,” he moaned and dramatically leaned back on his chair, a hand going on his own forehead.

 

Zhan Zhen Xi stared. Stared until He Tian laughed and Jian Yi collected himself and straightened his posture. Even Guan Shan let out a small smile.

 

He Tian turned to look at the redhead. He tilted his head and Guan Shan had to remind himself the alpha wasn’t cute while doing that.

 

“Well?”

 

“What?” Guan Shan shot back. Until he realized the Alpha was referring to his question. 

“I’m fine.”

 

“Yay! There’s still going to be a dance!” Jian Yi cheered. “Xixi, let’s go change the clothes. I want a different outfit when the dancing starts.”

 

The duo left and He Tian rose up and excused himself. 

 

“Sorry redhead, I have security to take care of. I will seek you out at the Final Dance, okay? Don’t run away,” he practically singed, leaving Guan Shan sitting at the table.

 

With a guard behind his back. Yeah, that would make running away a bit difficult.

 

“Thank you for the trust,” he whispered. It was going to be a long night.

  
  
  


                                                                                        ---------------------------------------------

 

When other people started to migrate away Guan Shan followed them. There were a lot of pairs, but that was to be expected. They were going to a dance, after all.

 

The guard dutifully followed Guan Shan like a puppy. Well, after glancing behind his back a shadow may had been a better description. The guy didn’t seem to be too amused to be trailing after him. The feeling was mutual.

 

To get the guy off his back Guan Shan made sure there was a pillar between them when he stopped his walking and leaned on the said pillar. It was a perfect spot to look around, watch the people talk, whisper to each other, see the lonely people circle around like predators in a hunt. _Weird._ Guan Shan focused on looking at lonesome ones nearby and to his surprise there were a couple of Alphas looking his way. The fuck.  

 

One of them locked eyes with him and started to get closer. An overly sweet smirk was on the Alphas face, like he was sure Guan Shan was an easy prey. Easy prey that tried to burn him with his eyes, but that didn’t seem to matter at all.

 

Guan Shan was about to demonstrate how many insults he could yell at the random Alpha when a familiar scent surrounded him.

 

“There you are,” He Tian happily said. He leaned next to Guan Shan, his posture relaxed. His whole appearance changed when he noticed the other Alpha, who clearly was either stupid or lacked basic survival instinct. He Tian’s hand landed on Guan Shan’s shoulder and he straightened up, making sure he towered over the shorter alpha.

 

That was all it took. That and the fact the other alpha recognized He Tian’s clothes and the sword on his hip. He disappeared so quickly only his scared scent remained.

 

Guan Shan lazily brushed the other’s hand away. “I could’ve handled that.”

 

He Tian chuckled. “I know.”

 

“Is making other people scared a hobby of yours?”

 

A shrug of shoulders. “Can’t deny I like it. Come on, let’s go find Jian Yi.”

 

Guan Shan’s hand was grabbed and he was dragged along the mass of people. They were on a big hall, decorated with a good taste and with many candles to give the lightning a sensual mood. They made their way to the platform where a a comfortable looking chair and not so comfortable looking Prince were. Jian Yi had indeed changed clothes - many times, if the look on Zhan Zhen Xi’s face was anything to go by. He Tian bowed for the sake of etiquette and Guan Shan mimicked him. 

 

Jian Yi stood up and the people went quiet. It was impressive, really, how quickly people’s attention shifted to him. 

There was no long speeches, only three words.  _ Enjoy the dance. _ And then music filled the room. He Tian checked the guards around the Prince since he wouldn’t be standing near the Prince, and after being sure he had thought about the protection he turned to his main target of the night.

 

“Can I have this dance?” he asked and bowed, reaching his hand towards Guan Shan. Like he had to do that, he had already blackmailed the redhead to have the dance.

 

Guan Shan took the offered hand and ignored the excited look on the other’s face. It was the easiest way to pass time anyway, Guan Shan reasoned, and turned to look past He Tian’s shoulder when he came close and put his other hand on Guan Shan’s waist. He had to breath deep to keep himself from flinching. He Tian was warm and it was sickening. It was  _ gross.  _

 

Neither of them said anything as they let the music to guide them. People were moving in a flow, the atmosphere was captivating and time seemed to stop. They danced, were part of the flow, spinned and turned and still Guan Shan felt like the hands guiding him grounded him at the same time. At some point he risked a glance at He Tian. The other had a gentle look on his face, and after noticing the redhead’s eyes on him he smiled and leaned to rest his head against Guan Shan’s shoulder. Guan Shan was so surprised of the affectionate gesture that it took him a moment to notice they had slowly stopped dancing. So were the other people around them. Everyone was standing still, focusing on their dance partners, and Guan Shan was about to ask what the fuck was going on when the music abruptly stopped.

 

And He Tian bit him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why do I always fail at keeping my writings short-ish? I thought I had written something like 2k words and it turned out to be 6k. Oh well. The warning about grammar mistakes still stands. English is hard and that shit.

Biting, the act of marking two people together, had been used since the ancient times. The location of the mark didn’t matter, but most people wanted the mark to show. It was a mark of pride for many, so the most common location was near the neck or on a wrist where everyone could quickly see if someone was taken. Kind of like a wedding ring, but in a form of bite mark.

 

Nature had luckily made an emergency exit for those who got bitten without their consent. One could not mark someone who didn’t want to get marked. It all came to hormones, to being omega, beta or alpha, and if the hormones thought they wanted it and the mind wasn’t completely opposite that decision the bonding could happen. 

 

Even then there was the act of separation: if two people bonded just by biting, an instant separation could break the bond. It wouldn’t be a nice experience by any means, but it could be used to demolish unwanted or accidental markings.

  
  


The textbook explanation of the situation didn’t help Guan Shan at all. His body had frozen, his breathing had stalled and only thing he registered in his mind was He fucking Tian biting the junction of his neck and shoulder.

 

At least he wasn’t alone in the situation. All around him people were having their necks, wrists and other modest body parts bitten. But he seemed to be the only one who was surprised.

 

His body was shaking. His soul had left his body and he wanted to scream, wanted to punch He Tian until the other’s perfect face was unrecognizable, but it seemed he wasn’t the one in control. His hormones seemed happy about the bite so all he managed was a weak shove against He Tian’s chest.

 

The man in question raised his head and went to kiss Guan Shan on the lips. Still shocked, Guan Shan didn’t have the power in him to do anything. First the kiss was gentle, just lips on lips, until He Tian tilted his head and grabbed the back of Guan Shan’s neck and slowly deepened the kiss.

 

That was the point when Guan Shan finally got a hold of himself and tried to hit the taller man. He Tian easily caught his fist.

 

“Is something wrong?” he asked, his pupils wide and breathing shallow. “Did I hurt you?”

 

Guan Shan didn’t answer. He wanted to run. He had no idea what was going on and he needed fresh air to breath, so he violently yanked his hand free and ran. 

He could hear his name being shouted behind him, but he didn’t stop to turn around. He showed his way through the pairs who looked happy and reeked of pheromones. What the fuck was going on! No one else seemed to be in shock with the whole sink-your-teeth-in-your-dance-partner event. 

 

Guan Shan shoved, pushed and dodged people until he was breathing hard and outside in the garden. In the back of his head he knew dirtying his clothes would raise questions with his mom, but he wanted to leave. _Needed_ to leave. Wanted to scream too, or punch a wall, but settled for climbing a wall separating him from the freedom.

 

During the second party there had been a muddy puddle where Guan Shan had landed from the library window. Of course he had slipped face first in it. It had also been raining, and when he had gotten home he had looked, well, horrible. The number of questions from his mom had almost drowned him, but she had luckily been satisfied enough with an answer about not having enough patience to wait for a ride back.

 

The same excuse probably wouldn’t do again. But admitting that hey, I got marked to a person from He family because I didn’t know dancing was just a codeword was also out of the question.

 

After getting over the wall Guan Shan went to the alleys. This near the castle they were mostly clean and safe to use as a cover. He didn’t want to be seen, especially since he was wearing his vest, just to be sure that if any guards would go looking for him they wouldn’t find him.

 

The closer he got to the home the more darker the alleys seemed to get. The same was happening in Guan Shan’s mind. Should he tell his mom he’d fucked up? That he was now marked and tied to one of the country’s powerful family? A family that could easily tear down the bakery if He Tian went crazy and wanted him back? Damn, he didn’t even know the guy! Who in their right mind even picked a life long partner at a party anyway.

 

Royals were out of their minds. Lunatics. Money and power clearly messed people up.

  
  


Pressure started to gather more as Guan Shan arrived to the bakery. There was a dim light shining through the upstairs windows. Oh god, his mom was waiting for him. That was to be expected since the years before he’d been home much sooner. 

 

There was no escape out of the situation. He was scared as hell of going in but what else could he do? If he went back to the castle he’d have to face the situation. No, he couldn’t do that, there was too many emotions going on. Anger. Confusion. The need to kick He Tian until the mark would mystically disappear.

 

And Guan Shan didn’t want his mom to find out he’d messed up from someone else.

 

“Fuck this,” he muttered and nervously carded his fingers through his hair. He had made his life hell just in hours. 

 

He made sure to lift the collar to cover the bite mark before opening the side door. There was a lone candle lighting up the space. Guan Shan put the flame down and started to climb the stairs.

 

“Guan Shan?” a sleepy noise asked.

 

His mom, now rubbing the remains of sleep out of her eyes, slowly looked up as Guan Shan hummed. 

“You were out later than usual. I was a bit worried.” Her eyes quickly checked Guan Shan’s appearance, and after not finding anything wrong she smiled. 

“Did you have fun?”

 

Guan Shan rubbed the back of his neck. The bite mark seemed to warm up and it felt like it’d soon burn through the shirt. It wasn’t possible, he knew it, but he didn’t like keeping secrets from his mom. And boy, this was a big secret to keep.

“As fun as it gets with snobbish assholes,” he answered, and continued before he’d get a scolding for his swearing: “The food was good. I talked with the Prince too.”

 

“The Prince!” His mom let out an excited sound. “We’ll definitely talk about this in the morning, okay?”

 

The silent  _ I see you’re sleepy so let’s continue the conversation later  _ was left unsaid. Guan Shan swallowed a lump and nodded. His mom was too good for him. He wished her a good night’s sleep and moved towards his room. The walk past her to his small room felt like a proper walk of shame, and the feeling of guilt didn’t go anywhere as the door was quietly shut. Guan Shan lumped against the door as the mark burned, his body searching for an alpha that wasn’t anywhere near. 

  
  


The first two weeks after the marking were the most critical ones. It was instructed that after the bite mark the pair should spend time with each other. Otherwise they’d go through withdrawal symptoms as their bodies were confused about the change in hormones.

 

If Guan Shan could stay away from He Tian for a few weeks and go through the symptoms he could forget the dance had ever happened.

 

                                                                  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The next morning was bad. Really  _ bad _ , maybe even hellish, as he felt like a stomach flu, fever and a headache had a baby. The bite mark burned like someone was poking it with hot iron. Luckily his mom believed his excuse of having too much fun at the party. Or maybe she didn’t believe it, but she didn’t bring it up when she brought fresh water and some apples in the room. The hardest part was burning up with a blanket thrown over him as he didn’t want to risk accidentally revealing the mark in his disoriented state.

 

The second day wasn’t any better, but Guan Shan still got up and went to help with the bakery. He still felt like shit but leaving his mom to take care of everything would’ve felt even worse, and there was a small hope that doing the chores would help distract him.

His mom protested at first, but as Guan Shan firmly assured he was well enough to do light chores around the bakery she gave up. But not without a loving lecture about taking care of himself. 

 

He felt bad about not telling her. The bite mark hurt, it burned and throbbed and he mostly wanted to break down, lean into his mom and cry like a child, but he wasn’t a kid anymore. She had been there when his dad had fucked up, made sure they had a roof on top of their heads and a small but steady income coming from the bakery. She worked long hours until she was tired, took care of Guan Shan, raised him alone and without breaking down in front of him.

 

He didn’t want to put more weight on her. He’d fix his own mistakes. They’d carry on living their lives and she’d never know about what had happened. So he pushed his aches and pains on the back of his head and focused on cleaning dishes and baking.

  
  


On the third day his condition hadn’t improved. It also hadn’t gone worse, so Guan Shan took that as an good thing. There had been no guards around and He Tian hadn’t still appeared. The man probably felt as bad as he did, and the thought made something twist inside him.  _ What the hell,  _ he shouldn’t feel sorry for the bastard!

 

“Stupid asshole”, he muttered. The pieces of firewood he was carrying inside weighed a ton and his arms were shaking from the effort. He hated how his body felt weak and fragile.

 

He didn’t make it to the door when he felt a presence nearby. A cold chill went through his body as fear settled.

 

“Mo Guan Shan.”

 

Instant relieve that the voice didn’t belong to He Tian followed by dread because standing behind him was another form of a devil.

 

Guan Shan sharply turned around to look straight into piercing yellow eyes. The firewood slipped from his hold and scattered on the ground.

 

“Aww, don’t be scared,” She Li mockingly cooed. “I’m here to congratulate you. Must be nice having a mate, isn’t it?

 

The day was officially on the list of Top 5 Worst Days for Guan Shan. Hell, now he was almost hoping it had been He Tian standing there instead of the repulsive reptile. Yellow eyes _were not_ normal for humans!

 

Instead of replying his vocal cords decided to malfunction so he just stood in the middle of the firewood and stared. She Li seemed to get satisfactory of seeing him so shaken. He tilted his head and chuckled. 

 

“Surely you must remember our talk”, he started. “I still need something. Your mom still has debt. But now you have a mate you don’t want, and that person happens to be close to the Prince.”

 

She Li let the silence speak. He dug his pocket and took a small item, watching it with a creepy smile on his face before tossing it towards the redhead. Guan Shan let the item hit the ground in front of him.

 

A key. 

 

“He Tian  _ will  _ look for you. You’ll agree on going with him to the castle. You’ll steal a small, harmless thing, hand it to me and continue with your life. As a reward I’ll make sure the He family won’t want you back and that your mother’s debt will be forgotten.” 

 

Guan Shan swallowed. He recognized the key. It was for the library window. 

 

Had the snake planned the whole thing in the library? Within minutes? 

 

“You knew”, Guan Shan forced out, his throat dry and body shaking from the nauseating feeling and fear. “You knew he’d bit me.”

 

A laugh. She Li had a dangerous glint in his eyes as he stepped closer, trailing Guan Shan as the other backed away until his back hit the wall. He cornered his pray until he towered upon the other, enjoying the anxiety reflecting on Guan Shan’s face.

 

“I had a hunch,” he purred. “One simple task and you’ll be free. What do you say, are you going to do it?”

 

This close the reek of She Li’s alpha scent was too much. Guan Shan’t bite mark seemed to hurt even more than before as his body was screaming for help, and at the same time his mind was yelling  _ no, we don’t want the other fucker to come help us, we’ll handle this. _ His body still won, and as the dangerous scent dominated the air Guan Shan gave in and submitted, turning his gaze downwards. 

“Fuck you,” he hissed, fighting his body’s reaction. She Li only smiled in a disgusting way. There was no way out for Guan Shan and they both knew it.

 

The snake leaned closer and Guan Shan involuntarily closed his eyes.

 

“There’s a stack of documents in the Prince’s room, bound together with a golden string. Just a pile of old papers that no one remembers. No one will even notice if the papers disappear. Get them and be free.”

 

The thick scent and the oppressive atmosphere faded away as Guan Shan listened to the steps that disappeared until there was just the sounds of birds and the nearby road. He opened his eyes, and after seeing the backyard empty he let his knees buckle underneath him.

 

“Fucking chicken dick”, he breathed out as he covered the mark hidden underneath the shirt collar. How could one bite ruin so many things for him?

 

                                                                          ----------------------------------------------

 

On the fourth day the inevitable happened. Guan Shan was making dough for the bread when his mom came from the bakery.

 

“Guan Shan?” she asked, worry in her voice, as she stood in the doorway and glanced back and forth between her son and whatever was in the bakery.

“There’s a group of guards in here, asking for you,” she said, closing the door as she came to stand in front of it. Like it would defend them from the people on the other side. 

“One of them looks like he’s from the He family. Sweetie, did something happen in the castle?”

 

Guan Shan stared until he couldn’t stand the concern on his mother’s face. Either he’d tell and give his mom a few minutes to adjust or He Tian would tell her and leave her in shock in front of all the people.

 

“There was… a dance”, he started, nervously picking the dough from his fingers. “At least I thought it was just a dance. Apparently it’s a warm up for marking but they just don’t tell it to people.”

 

He shyly glanced up. He’d give his mom ten points for keeping her cool.

 

“What happened?” she calmly asked. God, he hated how she kept herself composed and understanding. If anything he deserved yelling and anger and lectures about fucking things up!

He didn’t have any words left so he loosened the shirt collar and let the bite mark show. It was a perfect one; sometimes the marks were uncompleted for one reason or another, mostly if the persons were not compatible by nature.

 

His mom let out a sigh. “We’ll work this out. Your mate is just one of the guards, right?”

 

Guan Shan let out a nervous laugh. “Actually,” he whispered, “he’s the commander of the royal guards.”

 

“Oh dear,” she whispered back.

 

                                                                          -------------------------------------------------

 

He Tian looked tired. He had dark rings around his eyes and his skin was a bit sweaty. Clearly Guan Shan wasn’t the only one that had gone through the withdrawal symptoms. 

 

His eyes glued into Guan Shan as the redhead stepped into the space. There was too many emotions in his eyes, which was weird since there was no trace of any emotion on his face. He only averted his gaze when Guan Shan’s mother came through the door. He nodded politely, letting out a faded version of a smile.

 

“We need to talk,” Guan Shan stated. He Tian just nodded, and when Guan Shan went to the backroom the other followed. When the door closed behind them a pressuring silence fell. Until it was broken seconds later.

 

“What the  _ fuck! _ Guan Shan hissed. All the suppressed emotions were coming back to the surface. Anger. Confusion. Hurt. Too many emotions to handle at once so he punched a wall. Hard.

 

He Tian let him have his moment. He had hard time standing still, his instincts telling him to hold, calm down and be close to his omega.  _ Not mine,  _ he had to remind himself as the redhead paced around the room. He had to breath deep. Slowly. He hadn’t slept for days because his body and mind had needed his mate near him, but he knew that the longer he waited the more time Guan Shan would have to think the situation through. He was at his limit, though.

 

_Not my mate,_ he repeated as Guan Shan finally calmed down and sat on a chair. He pressed his face in his hands and let out a strangled scream.

 

“The hell’s wrong with you assholes!”

 

He Tian stood still. He had thought things over and the omega’s reaction just confirmed his suspicions. 

“You didn’t know about what was going to happen.” It was a statement. The truth out in the open.

 

“I didn’t.”

 

The silence fell on them. As the anger faded Guan Shan started to feel a pull. His body was starting to recognise just who he was sharing a room with and a compulsive, unexplained need to close the distance between him and He Tian was making itself known.

 

“You feel it too, don’t you”, He Tian said. He went to take a couple of slow, careful steps toward the redhead. 

“A pull. A need. A calling. I haven’t slept well after what happened. I felt hurt when you ran away. Until I realized there was a reason why you ran.”

 

Guan Shan shifted to lean back onto the chair as he rubbed his neck. The burn on the bite mark wasn’t the same burning sensation it had been for days. Now it just felt warm.

 

“I’ve always left before dinner,” he muttered, “I couldn’t stand all the asshole alphas and shrieking omegas trying to dry hump each other all over the castle.”

 

He Tian snorted at that. Their eyes met and the distance seemed to melt away.

 

“Despite the unfortunate way this all happened I’m still serious. I didn’t mark you as a whim. This couldn't had happened if some part of you didn’t feel the same way.”

 

Guan Shan opened his mouth and He Tian lifted his hand, cutting the words out.

 

“I mean everything I say. I’m willing to make you my mate, but only if you want the same thing. There’s something about you that got my interest in a way that hasn’t happened before.”

 

The taller male couldn't resist stepping closer and closer as he spoke. When he stopped talking he was standing so close that if he reached out he’d be able to stroke the red strands of hair. He could smell the scent of the other, had to remind himself to breath and stay put as Guan Shan observed him, eyes stormy as he wet his lips. He Tian’s eyes followed the motion like a hawk.

 

Guan Shan rose from the chair. His body was pleading him to at least try how it’d feel to be close to the other. He Tian tensed up, seemed to anticipate the surprising turn in Guan Shan.

“If you try to do anything funny I’ll kill you,” Guan Shan whispered. He slowly moved forward, carefully putting himself into He Tian’s personal space. He averted his eyes as their chests touched and He Tian’s hands came to rest on his hips. 

 

It felt shockingly okay. The disturbing thought of them fitting together like pieces of puzzle passed Guan Shan’s mind as He Tian rested his head against his, his face close to the mark. All the aches, pains and burns in his body faded as the taller male made a strange sound - almost like a purr - and his calming scent soothed the storm inside Guan Shan’s head. His fingers gently stroked his sides as he pressed closer to the warmth.

 

“You know, it’s only a mark. We haven’t bonded. I’m giving you a chance to try this out with me if you want to.”

 

Guan Shan’s body was yelling  _ hell yeah  _ and his mind was flashing the familiar red danger sign. There was also the sizzling voice inside his head, repeating: “ _ He Tian  _ _ will _ _ look for you. You’ll agree on going with him to the castle. You’ll steal a small, harmless thing, hand it to me and continue with your life _ .”

 

The warm, content feeling slowly sank as his mind was filled with yellow eyes, debt collectors and smiling Princes.

 

                                          ---------------------------------------------------

  
  


Guan Shan agreed to think about it overnight. He didn’t want to admit that it had been hard as hell to step back from the embrace and watch He Tian reluctantly leave.

 

He didn’t have a choice, really, so this way he could feel he’d some control over the situation. He Tian didn’t have to know Guan Shan was out of options anyway.

 

After the alpha had left the redhead and his mom had a talk. She was shocked but not angry.  _ You could’ve done worse,  _ she had said, smiling with mischief in her eyes. They agreed on Guan Shan leaving to settle things down in the castle, hugged for a long time until Guan Shan went to pack his few belongings. He didn’t have much to take with him, just some clothes that were clean enough for the castle and didn’t have too many holes in them. It wasn’t like he was going to stay for long, and if he forgot something he could probably come pick things up later if needed.

 

When the morning came Guan Shan and his mom watched outside the small windows of the bakery. There were fewer guards than in the previous day, but the group still looked impressive. They really stood out in the poorer side of the town and Guan Shan cursed under his breath. Great, everyone would know. Leave it to He Tian to make a big deal out of something like this.

 

Speak of the devil, He Tian was standing next to a big, black horse, petting its muzzle as he waited. He was dressed in all black, a long cloak draped around his shoulders.

 

Pompous bastard. 

 

Guan Shan’s mother fussed over Guan Shan’s worn out traveller’s cloak. God, he was going to stand out like a sore thumb with all the cleanly dressed guards and their horses with decorative reins and saddles.

 

When she was ready she stood back and sighed. It was like reliving the eve of the party once again. This time she didn’t have words to say so she just hugged her son, and the hug spoke more than hundred words ever could.

 

“I’ll come back home soon,” Guan Shan reassured, more to himself than to his mom.

“I’ll behave. I’ll try not to punch He Tian but I promise nothing on that front.”

 

His mom laughed. What a beautiful sound. She released Guan Shan and backed away, smiling as Guan Shan yanked the hood over his head. 

  
  


The walk from the door of the bakery to He Tian felt like it took eternity. The second the door had opened the attention of the guards, people around them and He Tian were on Guan Shan. He’d never liked to be the center of attention, and all the people watching him were getting under his skin. He Tian seemed to notice his unease as he swiftly moved to cover the redhead from the curious eyes, cutting their line of sight.

 

A greeting died on his lips as he noticed the small bag in Guan Shan’s hands.

“Is that all you packed?” he asked, surprised, since most likely even his group had more belongings with them than Guan Shan had in his bag. 

 

“Not all of us are rich fuckers,” Guan Shan mumbled. The nervousness had hit him like a cannonball in the face. All the eyes. All the movement around as common people walked past them in awe. 

 

A chuckle tore his attention back to the black haired man.

 

“I’m just amazed. You should see how many bags and trunks Jian Yi needs when he leaves the castle. You should teach him.”

 

He Tian then nodded to his guards and effortlessly lifted himself on the horse. The guards around them followed his example and soon Guan Shan was only one on the ground. The alpha then stretched out his hand, motioning the other to give his bag. Guan Shan reluctantly gave it away, unable to do anything else than watch as He Tian put it in a saddleback. 

 

He felt naked without his bag. This was it. Everything was going to change.

 

One of the guards rode closer and Guan Shan watched the other horse that followed. The dark brown horse looked kind enough but he still eyed it warily.

 

He could just turn around. Walk back to the bakery. Lock the door. Pretend anything hadn’t happened.

 

And after that he could send She Li an invitation to come burn down the bakery.

 

Okay, going to the castle was starting to sound so much better.

 

Guan Shan took a hold of the reins and froze.

 

Would it be a bad time to confess he’d never ridden a horse?

 

                                                                         -----------------------------------------------------

  
  


Their arrival at the castle was modest. The guards bowed as they rode past them, but other than that there weren’t anything special going on. Guan Shan liked it that way, it’d have been embarrassing to have a crowd waiting for them.

 

At the gentle morning light the castle looked different. It was a spectacular sight, and this time Guan Shan was seeing more than just the main entrance. They rode through the yard, past the garden that looked way different in the daylight. To think the garden could look so beautiful, full of lanes lined with trees and small pathways going through the flowerbeds and bushes.

 

Movement in the edge of his vision made Guan Shan look in front of him. He Tian was watching him, a soft smile on his lips, not even trying to hide the fact he was looking at him. Guan Shan turned his gaze away and watched as birds flew high above the tall towers.

It was nothing like the small building he and his mom lived in.

 

Once they’d left the horses in the hands of the servants they made their way inside through a side door. He Tian waved a servant off as he tried to take Guan Shan’s bag and eyed the group on search of finding the rest of his belongings. 

 

Maybe he should had taken more stuff with him since everyone seemed to think he’d packed the whole house anyway.

 

Every servant they passed bowed and welcomed them, and every time it happened he felt more uncomfortable. The expensive decoration made him feel like he didn’t belong, made him feel small and made the urge to run away seem like a really good idea. He Tian sensed his unease - it wasn’t hard to notice how stressed he was - and the alpha moved next to him and his hand gently moved to rest on Guan Shan’s lower back. The closeness didn’t feel forced and even the redhead had to admit it helped; he did feel a bit better now that He Tian was walking next to him.

 

“I’ll show you where you will be sleeping before we can walk around the castle,” He Tian said, voice calming and his gaze full of understanding. “I know this all is new to you. New home and a lot of more people than in your bakery.”

 

“No kidding,” Guan Shan sighed as some more guards bowed. Would he ever get used to that?

 

They arrived on the end of a hallway and He Tian opened one of the decorative doors and stepped in. Guan Shan hesitantly moved to follow, taking in the big windows, a huge bed and the lack of decorative items. There was only the basic furniture in the room, nothing else. It seemed awfully bare.

 

“This is it,” He Tian smiled as he put Guan Shan’s bag on the bed and flopped next to it. “Welcome to our room.”

 

“What the - _ our _ room?!” Guan Shan yelled after processing the words for a minute. “I’m not going to sleep here with _ you _ ! I’ll rather sleep outside or jump out from there!” he angrily cursed and pointed towards a window.

 

It took half an hour for He Tian to coax the other to stay instead of climbing down from a window.

 

                                   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

 

“Heyy, why are you moping? Was He Tian mean to you? Ah, Xixi was really mean to me today too! He made me  _ study  _ and  _ read things  _ and now my brain hurts!”

 

Guan Shan stared as Zhan Zhen Xi gave Jian Yi another lecture about being a Prince and how important understanding politics were. Next to them He Tian snickered and gestured a servant to bring them more vine on the table.

 

“I wasn’t mean. Actually, I’m on my best behaviour,” He Tian beamed after the servant had left. 

 

Guan Shan gritted his teeth. Worst thing was He Tian was right, he’d been acting nice and thoughtful for the whole day expect for keeping his hand draped over the redhead’s shoulders constantly. Other than that and a few disgustingly sweet remarks about his looks that had earned the taller male a few bruises the other hadn’t done anything that could’ve given Guan Shan the final push to get angry and leave. 

 

Yeah. If he even had a choice. But having a reason to hate or at least dislike the alpha would’ve made the “errand” the snake had given him easier. 

 

The conversation turned to other topics and Guan Shan leaned on his hand. It was probably rude to sit at the table like that, considering he had a Prince sitting near him, but as he looked et Jian Yi, who was trying to steal food from his personal guard’s plate, it didn’t seem to matter. They were eating in the privacy of a small dining room - well, small if you compared it to the main dining hall which was huge - and apart from two servants and guards outside there were no other people around. 

 

Earlier in the day He Tian had given him a tour around the castle and the surrounding area. There were way more to see than the spaces used to held the party, and at the end walking around the castle and the garden had taken hours.

 

It had been… pleasant. Considering the situation and how bad he felt about leaving his mom alone just after revealing he had accidentally got bitten.

 

The whining of the Prince got his attention. Jian Yi was tugging He Tian’s sleeve, tears in his eyes as he complained about Zhan Zhen Xi not letting him have a swim in the garden pool.

 

“I need more free time! I’m clearly overworked,” he cried, “He Tian, you’d let me have a relaxing swim in the garden, right?”

 

“You  _ won’t  _ swim in there!” Zhan Zhen Xi covered his face in frustration. He Tian opened his mouth but an grim glance from the personal guard silenced him. The commander shrugged.

 

“Listen to your Xixi. Go read a book or something.”

 

Jian Yi dramatically weeped and rose up. “You’re both so evil. I’m going to bed.”

 

The personal guard silently followed. Their bickering started again as soon as they were out of the dining room.

 

He Tian yawned and took a sip of his wine. “It’s been a long day. What do you think little Mo, are you ready to share a bed with me?”

 

“The fuck you called me,” Guan Shan hissed. He Tian seemed pleased with himself.

 

“I can also call you sweetie, my sweetheart or - “

 

Guan Shan covered the other’s mouth with his hand. The stupid blush had found him again and the redness probably went beyond his face.

 

“Shut up!” Guan Shan  _ didn’t  _ want to hear what else He Tian could think of, since there was a mischievous glint in his eyes.

 

“Okay, no more nicknames,” he mumbled, and Guan Shan quickly took his hand off the other’s mouth. The movement of lips against his hand had send sparks through his arm and a warm feeling to his mark.

 

He Tian stood up and Guan Shan followed. The other was quiet while they walked, only stopping to briefly talk to guards. Soon they were entering He Tian’s room and, to Guan Shan’s shock, He Tian was quick to start taking off his clothes right when the door closed.

 

Guan Shan wanted to scream at him but  _ damn,  _ He Tian was ripped. It was to be expected, the other probably had trained since forever - he was the commander of the guards after all - but it didn’t make watching away any easier. He had to admit, He Tian was not a bad looking guy. And he knew it himself too, if the show he’d put on was anything to go by.

 

“Like what you see?” he boldly asked, a smirk on his face and only the pants remaining on his body. As he started to slowly take them off too Guan Shan turned around and focused on the floor.

 

What an interesting floor. It didn’t have any naked, laughing He Tians on it. Good floor.

 

He Tian was at least nice enough to give Guan Shan some space after he’d put on his robe. The servants had delivered some new clothes to Guan Shan while they were away. The quality of the fabric called him to slide his fingers against the robe he’d been given. Was it silk? He put it on and marveled how it looked. Rich bastards. The robe probably cost more than what he and his mom made in a week. Or more.

 

He Tian appeared on the other side of the bed. He slipped under the covers and turned to look at the readhead. “You look good in your robe,” he murmured and the bite mark on Guan Shan’s neck warmed.

 

“You look like shit,” he answered back with a straight face. “Look, if you come too close or touch me I’ll kill you.”

 

“Ooh, scary,” came the amused reply. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

Guan Shan warily joined the other on the bed. It was big enough for them to sleep without having to even accidentally brush against each other. He turned his back to the alpha and his mark ached. Stupid mark. Stupid alpha.

 

He let the silent  _ good night  _ hang in the air and closed his eyes. It’d been a really long, exhausting day. The mark didn’t cause discomfort or pain anymore but the feeling of longing and warmth that came with spending time with He Tian weren’t any better.

 

The silence of the room and the warm, comfortable bed soon lulled Guan Shan on the edge of sleep. He was just about to fall asleep when hand snaked its way around his waist and a body pressed against his back.

 

“The FUCK!” he screamed, tossing around and facing the sleepy alpha. “I told you not to touch me!”

 

“Sorry, sorry,” came the reply, but there was no regret in the other’s voice. He Tian raised his hands up in surrender and scooted back on the other side of the bed. “I forgot to mention I’m a cuddler when I sleep.”

 

“And I’m  _ not _ , so don’t fucking try anything!”

 

With a final look that promised death if the other came any closer Guan Shan turned his back to the devil. It was a risky move, but he’d rather stare the darkness than the annoying alpha.

 

Minutes passed. Nothing happened. Guan Shan closed his eyes and tucked the blanket tighter around himself.

 

When he felt the hand on his back he lost it. With strength he didn’t know he possessed in his tired state he pushed He Tian off the bed. The satisfying thump echoed in the room.

 

“If you get on the bed again I’ll tie you to a chair!”

 

“Is that an offer?” came the snickering reply.

 

“You fucker! I hope you choke while you sleep!” Guan Shan yelled and threw the closest thing he had - just a pillow, unfortunately - at the general direction of the other.

 

The night would be a long one.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. I live. Thank you for the supportive messages you left me, you really helped me to gain motivation to finish this chapter! You're all so sweet and supportive, I don't deserve you.

The tension in the room was almost touchable. Jian Yi kept looking at them like a predator on a hunt: he wanted details and would do anything to get them. Even shut up and let the pressure of silence get to them.

 

The scheming Prince slyly slid his hand around Guan Shan’s shoulders and pressed himself against the other. “You know,” he said, trying to sound uncaring but failing miserably, “My bedroom is on the same hallway as He Tian’s, and I happened to hear some loud noises. And screaming. Which is fine, not my cup of tea but I’m not one to judge.” He silenced himself for a moment when He Tian tried to lean closer to hear what they were talking about, but continued when the alpha admitted defeat and went back to eating his breakfast.

 

“What I’m saying is if there’s anything you want to talk to me about or ask me I’m here. Omegas stick together, okay?”

 

Guan Shan squirmed until he got free from the Prince’s hold. That didn’t stop Jian Yi from attaching himself on his side again. “You can tell me  _ anything _ ,” he pleaded, the hunger for juicy details showing on his face.

 

“Nothing happened!” Guan Shan finally cried out.

 

“...What?”

 

The redhead angrily bit into his sandwich. “Nothing. Happened,” he repeated. 

 

“He did kick me out of the bed,” He Tian commented. “And we had a friendly conversation about respecting personal space.”

 

“Well, you did that pretty loudly,” Zhan Zheng Xi noted.

 

“Where did  _ you  _ spend the night if you heard us?” He Tian teased, enjoying when the other averted his eyes. 

 

“I was - I walked by.”

 

“Hey!” Jian Yi, with colour rising to his face, suddenly yelled. “Guan Shan, did you see the garden yesterday?”

 

The change in subject was welcomed, and Guan Shan quickly answered to make everyone forget the previous discussion.

“Yeah, we walked around it. Why?”

 

Jian Yi scrambled up from his seat, breakfast forgotten, a smile on his face as he announced they could all benefit from a fresh morning walk.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------

 

Guan Shan watched as He Tian kicked both the Prince and his beloved guard  **in** a bush. The supposed to be relaxing walk had quickly turned into He Tian being a dick and Jian Yi yelling so loud he scared away the peacocks.  

 

Though the Prince didn’t seem  _ that  _ uncomfortable to be laying under Zhan Zheng Xi. He Tian laughed, watching as the two tried to get on their feet.

 

When the kingdom wasn’t watching these people they acted like… people. They had fun, teased each other and, apparently, liked to push each other on innocent plants.

 

“Guan Shan!” the Prince whined, and the redhead focused on him. Zhan Zheng Xi had gotten up, but for some reason Jian Yi was still on the ground, groaning like the fall had caused serious injuries. Dramatic as ever.

 

Jian Yi motioned him to come closer. Guan Shan walked over and after a little bit of hesitation he held out his hand. The Prince took the offered hand and let Guan Shan lift him up, wiping the dust off his clothes with a sigh.

 

“You should just tie him up as a punishment,” he playfully snarled, gesturing to a snickering He Tian. Guan Shan rolled his eyes.

“He’d probably just like that,” he answered, remembering the previous night and the comments that the alpha had made.

 

He Tian laughed. “He knows me so well already.” 

 

The disgusted look Jian Yi and Zheng Xi shared made the alpha laugh even more. Even Guan Shan couldn’t help chuckling. 

 

The two seemed to have a conversation by just staring at each other. At the same time they looked at He Tian, who had just turned his back towards them as he approached Guan Shan.

 

“If punishments don’t work it’s time to try revenge,” Jian Yi chirped and pushed He Tian’s back. The alpha hadn’t expected that and he quickly lost his footing. Guan Shan could only wait and watch as He Tian’s body collided with his, both of them falling on the ground.

 

Guan Shan mentally prepared for hitting his head, but the pain never came. He opened his eyes to see He Tian on top of him, leaning on his hands, not letting his body crush Guan Shan’s.

 

“Now we’re even!” the Price cheered, walking backwards as He Tian started to get up. The alpha carefully took his hand away from the back of Guan Shan’s head - wait, when had he done that - and was about to go after the now running Prince when he glanced downwards. The alpha smirked, but in a weirdly gentle way.

 

“Don’t look so disgusting,” Guan Shan whispered. The expression on the other’s face was doing weird things to him and he didn’t like it. 

 

He Tian’s smile grew and he sat up to look at the fleeing form of still laughing Jian Yi. Behind the Prince trailed his guard, calmly walking to catch up with the other.

 

Guan Shan also sat up and they both watched as the Prince stumbled and Zhan Zheng Xi went to help him up.

 

“The kingdom is in good hands,” Guan Shan snorted. He Tian hummed in agreement, still smiling.

 

Guan Shan’s gaze drifted to the other’s hand. It had a few scratches from the fall but nothing major. His head would probably had suffered more from the impact. As his mother hadn’t raised an ungrateful little shit, he breathed deeply. And thanked He Tian.

“Why are you thanking me?” He Tian questioned, tilting his head slightly. Like a damn puppy.

 

“You know,” he started, but had to look away from the dark eyes, “For saving me from a brain injury.”

 

“Anything for you,” the alpha answered, but even though his tone was light there was something else behind the words. Something Guan Shan didn’t want - or couldn’t - face at the moment. 

 

He wasn’t at the castle to fall in love.

 

                        ---------------------------------------------------

 

Later that day Guan Shan found himself walking around the castle. Alone. The silence of the long, empty hallways was a welcoming change after all that had happened. Sometimes he saw a servant or a guard, awkwardly greeting them with a nod when they bowed as he passed them. 

 

He had tried to memorise the layout of the castle when walking around it with He Tian, but it was impossible to remember all the shortcuts and rooms right away. So he strolled around, opened doors when no one was looking and before he knew it his feet had taken him to the corridor leading to He Tian’s room.

 

Their room. No, it didn’t feel right, Guan Shan decided, shaking his head to get rid of the foolish thought. What he should be thinking about was what the Prince had said earlier that day.

 

Something about him hearing Guan Shan shout at the alpha. The Prince had mentioned that his room was not that far away from He Tian’s - which was to be expected, if you thought about security and that stuff - so in theory it could be easy to find the room, go around it unnoticed, get the papers and tell He Tian to fuck off.

 

So. Easy. But looking at the identical doors lining the hallway the easy part would come after finding the room. It was probably another security thing to have all the doors look the same, and at that moment Guan Shan cursed all of the He family for taking their jobs seriously. Bastards. 

 

No way around it, he started to open the doors. Why did the castle have so many useless rooms? It was probably an ego thing for the royals. 

 

His hand hit the knob of the fourth door and he halted. Locked. It could be Jian Yi’s room. Or not. The lock wouldn’t be enough to stop him, but getting in would take time. There were also the guards doing rounds, the Prince and the people trailing after him, the asshole and -

 

Guan Shan yelled when an arm was draped around his shoulders.

 

“You’re at the wrong door,” He Tian chuckled, watching with amusement as Guan Shan swore and tried to wriggle away. “Come on, it’s over here.”

 

The alpha started to lead them towards the door to his room. Guan Shan acted along and followed without much struggle until He Tian took out his keys and led them inside. He slipped away then, going to dig through his bag to look like he needed something from there.

 

“There’s too many rooms here,” he mumbled, pouting a little to gain He Tian’s attention.

 

Yeah, he was raised on the streets. He knew how to play. When he knew the other was watching he turned his back. “Whose room is that anyway?” he asked like it didn’t mean anything.

 

He Tian took the bait. “The Prince’s. Far enough to have his privacy, but close enough for me to save him if he screams. The walls are thin enough to hear that. We proved it last night,” he joked with a wink.

 

“Shut up,” the redhead growled, putting his belongings back where they belonged and turning around. He was met with a dark, calculating gaze. The kind that spelled trouble. 

 

Oh no. Had he got a player number two? The eyes followed his steps as he moved to leave the room, and when Guan Shan looked up when his name was called the warmth was back and no trace of anything else remained.

 

“What?” he snapped. He Tian was quiet for a moment, looking like he wanted to say or ask something, but ended up just shaking his head.

 

“Let’s go get something to eat,” he said instead, following behind the redhead as they left the room.

 

                        ----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Jian Yi eyed them like a parent knowing their children were hiding something. When the servants brought the breakfast on the table and left he casually leaned towards He Tian. Guan Shan had been smart enough to have  _ something  _ between him and the curious Prince. Even if that something was He Tian.

 

“No yelling this time,” the Prince mentioned, eyes going back and forth between the two, closely watching their reactions. 

 

“I behaved,” He Tian answered, leaning back on his chair. He seemed proud of himself.

 

Jian Yi snorted like it was the best joke he’d heard in ages before focusing on the redhead hiding behind the alpha. “So, what are you going to do today?” he asked Guan Shan. The other shrugged.

 

He couldn’t exactly tell the Prince that he’d like to go to his room and steal things.

 

He Tian observed his reaction for a moment. “If His Majesty doesn’t mind,” he paused to snicker when Jian Yi mumbled  _ I hate when you use that title _ , “you could join us to practise.” 

 

“You just want him to see when I cry,” Jian Yi whined.

 

“Practise?” Guan Shan repeated.

 

“It’s important to royalty to know how to use a sword. I use  _ mine _ just fine, but he does need a bit practise.”

 

“Eww, stop using dirty innuendos that close to me.” The Prince leaned away and into the personal space of blank faced Zheng Xi. “Xixi, I’m good with a sword, right?”

 

“Or at least  _ Xixi  _ is good with his,” He Tian answered before Zheng Xi could answer, dodging the bread tossed at him. “Save that energy to the training and you’ll do fine.”

 

                                 -----------------------------------------------------------

 

Guan Shan ended up watching them practise self defence. Jian Yi was having major problems at concentrating and he was trying his best to annoy He Tian and slip away. The alpha was having none of that, pulling the Prince back to his place before attacking again.

 

They were good - at least when the Prince finally decided to get serious. They danced around the training field, dodging, attacking, and from time to time He Tian stopped to give instructions. It was captivating and in the end, even if he had wanted, Guan Shan couldn’t turn his gaze away. The way He Tian moved, how his clothes had started to stick to his body, how he wiped sweat from his eyes in the back of his hand. The alpha’s face lacked the playful smirk it usually hosted, full concentration taking place as he swung his sword at Jian Yi. The Prince stepped back, avoiding the strike, but instead of attacking he wobbly fell on his knees.

 

“I’m  _ so  _ tired! I’m dying!”

 

“You’re not dying. Get Up. Your defence needs some work,” He Tian answered, nudging the Prince with his leg. Jian Yi whined and collapsed on his side.

 

“Dying! Almost dead!” the Prince wailed, turning to lay on his back. 

 

“Sure you are,” He Tian laughed. He turned his head as Zheng Xi walked next to him, also watching the sorry mess that was the next ruler of their country.

 

“Is he being dramatic or really injured?” he calmly asked. He completely ignored the quiet  _ dead  _ that Jian Yi whispered, focusing more on the other alpha.

 

“I’d say physically spent and mentally suffering. It wouldn’t be a good practise if he wasn’t like this in the end.”

 

Zheng Xi snorted. “Maybe it’s time for the royal baby to have a bath and a nap,” he suggested, smiling as the Prince pitifully nodded his head and made grabby hands towards his guard. 

 

“Get a room!” He Tian yelled when the duo walked away. The alpha swiped his damp hair from his eyes, stealing a sidelong glance of redhead he knew would watch his every move. Giving in to the temptation to tease the other, He Tian stretched his hands above him, making sure he was giving a good show. Damn, if he continued much longer he’d make himself blush.

 

“Like what you see?” he shouted, lifting the hem of his shirt to swipe away sweat from his face. Oh god, he was being illegal!

 

It took Guan Shan few seconds to form coherent thoughts and words, and even then the best he could form was: “Fucking asshole!”

 

“Creative,” the alpha commented. “Instead of watching do you want to join me?”

“You - what?” 

 

He Tian gestured the training field around him. “I lost my student. There’s space for another,” he laughed. “Come on, I’m sure you know some tricks when it comes to fighting.”

 

Guan Shan shook his head. Like he’d show his tricks.

 

“Please?” He Tian plead, tilting his head and using his best puppy look. Apparently he had trained years to perfect the look, and even a stronger person than Guan Shan would have given in. The omega rose from his sitting position and, trying to show how reluctant he was, slowly strolled just out of reach of the other. Even with space between them he smelled the alpha, his suppressed omega side singing in joy as he physically grimaced. God, maybe the idea of challenging the other wasn’t such a good idea after all, but backing down was not an option anymore.

 

“The safe word is ‘He Tian is sexy’”.

 

His fist missed its target just barely.

 

He Tian backed couple of steps, raising one hand up in a form of apology. He then turned to put away his sword - making some moves with it first,  _ fucking show off  _ \- and then he started to take off his shirt. Talk about fighting dirty.

 

Guan Shan averted his gaze and it landed on the weapon on the ground. Any distraction was good, so he studied the sword. “Isn’t it dangerous to use that kind of weapon when training the Prince?”

 

“It’s not dangerous if you know how to fight with them. I’m good with mine, you or the Prince have nothing to worry about.”

 

“Yeah, you were born with one in your ass, of course you know how to use it.”

 

He Tian smirked. The fight was on. And just to be on the winning side, Guan Shan also took his shirt off. The alpha’s eyes were on him immediately and the redhead used his brilliant plan to launch a sneaky attack. It worked and he managed to kick the other and shake his balance. He Tian was quick to recover, hand shooting out to grab Guan Shan to keep himself upright. 

 

He wasn’t having any of that. “Don’t even think about it!” He dodged, creating some space between their bodies, having a moment to admire He Tian’s bare chest before catching himself and turning the lust into anger, swinging his fist in hopes to win the fight quickly.

 

No such luck. The alpha steadied himself in a graceful way that made Guan Shan snort, the way the other moved like almost falling on his ass wasn’t a big deal made him want to throw something at the alpha.

 

Or kiss him.

 

_ Oh no. _

 

Apparently He Tian was having similar thoughts, judging by the way his eyes were trying to have sex with the redhead right where they were. 

 

Guan Shan had to admit he probably reeked like he’d want to do the same. He shook his head and tore his eyes away before attacking. He assumed He Tian would defend himself, block his attack or step away, so it came as a complete surprise when the alpha first dodged, but then grabbed Guan Shan’s arm to yank the other towards himself. The omega collided with his chest, too shocked at first to do anything else than freeze, and He Tian took his chance to gently slide his hand on the back of Guan Shan’s neck while his other stayed on his arm.

 

“What an unfortunate training accident," the alpha snickered. Guan Shan created some space between them by pushing He Tian's chest, but the dark haired male stood his ground and kept his hands in place. 

 

"You're so fucking annoying," Guan Shan growled, but stopped pushing. He Tian was warm and sweaty and on normal circumstances it'd have sickened him to death, but now he felt content. He Tian's hands started moving, creating small patterns on his skin and he allowed it, giving himself a permission to enjoy the feeling for a moment.

 

“I really want to kiss you,” He Tian said calmly, even though he probably wasn’t as tranquil as his voice let on. Guan Shan wet his lips, trying to get his brain working before he did something stupid. Or more stupid he’d already done with the whole situation. 

 

Documents. A repulsive reptile. No time for love - and definitely no time for kissing. Home, his mother waiting for him. Ah, his brain activity was back on action.

 

He gently pushed the other and this time He Tian gave in, letting Guan Shan have some air between them. The redhead’s hand fell away as he took a step back, but he made a fatal mistake when he looked the other in the eyes and the words he’d planned on saying didn’t come out.

 

He Tian looked hurt. Also horny, but mostly just hurt. He was trying to hide it, but Guan Shan could feel it through their mark. His instincts told him to step back into the embrace, to kiss and stay close, but he settled for shaking his head.

 

He Tian looked understanding. “It’s okay,” the alpha said as he also took a step back, trying to calm himself. For a minute both of them collected themselves in silence before He Tian spoke again. 

 

“Come on, I want to show you something,” he whispered, voice still strained from their training and Guan Shan had to take a deep breath to calm his heart because holy hell, just when they’d got rid of the sexual tension the alpha had the nerve to sound so hot.

 

Guan Shan swallowed. “If it’s your dick you want to show me I’ll kill you.”

 

His remark gained a laugh from the other, and to Guan Shan’s relieve the weird atmosphere disappeared.  

 

“Follow me and come see for yourself,” He Tian snickered and turned to walk away, picking up his shirt and slipping into it while still walking. He didn’t turn around to see if Guan Shan was following, but he probably knew he’d do just that.

 

Curiosity was a dangerous thing.

  
  


\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  
  


Jian Yi stilled and listened to the sounds around him. Birds singing. The sound of the leaves as the wind rattled them. The distant splashing of a fountain.

 

He sighed and sat down, moving the branches away from his face. He’d had a terrible day and he deserved a relaxing moment just for himself. In a bush. 

 

First He Tian had tortured him almost to death. Then Xixi - his lovable but cruel,  _ cruel  _ friend - had tricked him into thinking he could spent the rest of the day laying in a bath and then sleeping, but no, his personal guard had been learning from the devil himself and made him study without having some time to nap. Study! Like the training hadn’t been bad enough!

 

So now he, the Prince, was sitting in a bush. Because who would find him there?

 

Probably Xixi. At least he would have to work for it.

 

Thinking about napping made him sleepy, and even though the bush wasn’t his comfortable, handmade bed and the garden wasn’t a quiet, Prince worthy sleeping place he decided to lay down and close his eyes. The sounds of the nature weren’t half bad on the ears, they were actually pretty calming, and his body started to relax. He was already aching from the training and his brain was hurting from all the fancy words he had been forced to read, and it didn’t take long from him to almost fall asleep.

 

Until there were noises. 

 

“It’s a gift.”

 

Jian Yi sat up quickly, his vision spinning. He knew the voice and the side of him that loved rumors was awake. Oh,  _ so  _ awake.

 

“I don’t want it.”

 

Ah, the fiery redhead. Even the best drama going on on the court was nothing compared to He Tian and the omega he’d met at the party, so Jian Yi risked his hiding place and silently moved until he saw the two figures by the fountain. They were facing each other, He Tian leaning into Guan Shan’s space. They lowed their voices and Jian Yi crept closer, but he couldn’t get close enough to hear what they were saying. 

 

The alpha held out his hand. Whatever he had in it was small enough to fit in his palm, and the unknown item was clearly making the redhead nervous.

 

“I said I don’t want it!” Guan Shan yelled, causing He Tian to lean in closer and whisper something in his ear. Though that didn’t have the calming effect he probably was after, as Guan Shan took the item from the other and aggressively threw it in the fountain.

 

Yeah, the court would have to work hard to be as entertaining as these two. If only the Prince had a more comfortable seat and binoculars!

 

“Oh no you didn’t,” He Tian said in a louder voice. Guan Shan wasn’t quick enough to sense the danger when He Tian’s hands shot out to push him in the fountain.

 

Too bad for the alpha that the redhead’s reaction was to grab the closest thing to him to stop the fall, and it happened to be him. 

 

For a few seconds there was silence. Only the sound of the wind shaking the leaves. Then the screaming began.

 

“What the fuck!” Guan Shan cried, trying to get up but losing his footing again and tumbling back into the water. Next to him He Tian got up, clearly amused by their situation, (Jian Yi had never seen the alpha smile so much as after the redhead had joined him in the castle) and started to help the struggling omega up. And the way he decided to do that was by sliding his hands under Guan Shan’s arms and lifting the boy up like he weighed nothing. 

 

They stared at each other. Water dripped from their hair and clothes, but neither seemed to notice their wet appearances anymore. He Tian’s hands stayed on Guan Shan’s waist, and for once the redhead wasn’t protesting.

  
  


_ Gross. _ Jian Yi wasn’t going to see where their little romantic fountain adventure would lead them, so it was time to escape. He backed until he exited his beloved hiding place. Seeing the two being nauseatingly romantic in the water made him miss his Xixi. Maybe one day it would be them, together, sitting and laughing on the edge of the fountain, leaning closer to each other to kiss -

 

An ear shattering scream broke his daydream haze. Guan Shan must had woken up from his shock. The redhead had good lungs for screaming, Jian Yi would give him that, but if the omega stayed in the castle the Prince would’ve to invest in thicker walls if he was going to sleep while having a room so close to He Tian’s bedroom.

 

Yeah, he wanted to find Zheng Xi as soon as possible.

  
  


\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  
  


“I didn’t know you gave swimming lessons,” the Prince commented as he took a sip of his drink, eyes glued on He Tian. 

 

“Swimming lessons?” Zheng Xi repeated and turned his questioning gaze at the same direction. Guan Shan muttered a quiet  _ fucking stalker  _ under his voice.

  
  


Jian Yi hadn’t been lucky in finding his favourite guard. Zheng Xi had been a responsible person and was working when the Prince tried to imitate a leech and attach himself on him. Maybe that had been for the best since Xixi had a bad habit of sensing when Jian Yi had sneaked away from his studies. That didn’t change the fact that the Prince had a desperate  _ need  _ to gossip about the sight he’d seen! So he waited until the evening when they were gathered around a table, eating in a false harmony before he decided to drop the bomb.

  
  


The Prince laughed, swirled the liquid in the glass in a lazy fashion before turning to his guard. “These two had fun in the fountain earlier this day. Xixi, Remind me to ask someone to clean it.”

 

“At what time did it happen precisely?” 

 

Jian Yi looked at Zheng Xi like his personal guard had grown another head. Since when had Xixi been interested in what He Tian and Guan Shan did in their spare time?

 

“Umm," he started, not liking the knowing look on Zheng Xi's face."I can’t remember?"

 

He tried to get support from the other two, but quickly realized they weren't going to help him. Damn, his need to gossip had blurred his common sense. Of course his personal guard had noticed he’d left the torture room! He had a sixth sense of just knowing when Jian Yi wasn’t studying or doing his duties.

 

 Zheng Xi was watching his every move, every gesture he made that revealed how he was trying to work his way out of confessing about ditching his studies.

 

Jian Yi coughed. The bread in front of him became really interesting and he focused on eating. His plan didn’t work. The smile on Zheng Xi’s face spelt trouble. 

 

“Next time you try to escape your studies I’ll make sure to check the gardens too.”

 

Jian Yi realized way too late he’d revealed his best hiding place. Next to him He Tian was having the best time of his life, laughing like crazy. Even Guan Shan was laughing, that traitor!

 

“You played yourself,” He Tian managed to say. 

 

The Prince pouted and leaned back on his chair. “You’re all horrible,” he whined, and then used the full force of his pouty face on Zheng Xi. “You’re the worst.”

 

“Anything for my Prince.”

 

His plan of getting some juicy details had backfired, but he still wasn’t satisfied as he hadn’t gotten any information out of anyone yet. 

 

He at least wanted to know what the mysterious item had been. Guan Shan didn’t seem to have anything new on him. The item had been small, it had fit He Tian’s hand after all, maybe a ring?

 

“Piece of jewellery,” He Tian spoke up. Jian Yi startled and focused on the alpha. “That’s what I tried to give to him. I know you too well,  _ Your Highness _ .”

 

The Prince, being mature and all, stuck his tongue out at him **.** “Like I even wanted to know!” He defended himself, but everyone in the room, even Guan Shan who’d known the Prince only for days, knew he was lying.

 

It was time for plan B for Jian Yi, which meant shutting up and salvaging some of his pride before he wouldn’t get any information out of anyone ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so, so sorry this chapter ended like this. I promise to continue the story tho! It might take an eternity and some months, but I won’t abandon this. The story just keeps on getting longer and longer, I swear it has a mind of its own by now.


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